Free and cheap things to do in Miami - July 4-6

Miami on the Cheap has the scoop on the free and cheap fun in South Florida this weekend.

It’s a holiday weekend, with three full days to enjoy the best (or worst) of South Florida, depending on the weather. Friday is full of free family festivals and free fireworks displays throughout Miami-Dade and Broward.

Film lovers can get 2-for-1 movie tickets from Fandango on Fridays with a Visa Signature card. July and August are Miami Spa Month, with spa treatments at special prices at more than 30 Miami-Dade spas.

Miami on the Cheap has a list of 24 free or cheap things to do with kids in South Florida this summer. Fort Lauderdale on the Cheap has a list of free things to do with kids and deals in Broward.

$5 days at Zoo MiamiIf you’re been putting off a visit to Zoo Miami because of the cost, this might be the weekend to go. Through July 6, admission is just $5 per person (and free for kids 2 and younger). Ford is sponsoring $5 days, and there will be giveaways and goodies from other businesses throughout the weekend. You can buy tickets in advance at the Zoo Miami website.

Visit museums free this weekendIf it rains, you can visit a museum free. Anyone with a Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit or debit card can get one free entry Saturday or Sunday to museums participating in the Museums on Us program. In Miami-Dade, those are the Perez Art Museum Miami, the Miami Children's Museum, Miami Science Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art and the Bass Museum of Art. In Broward, the program includes the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science, the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale and the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum. The Wolfsonian is having a free Family Day design workshop from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The Gold Coast Railroad Museum offers free admission the first Saturday of every month. Saturdays are always free at the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, and admission is free every day at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at FIU.

Free Sunday Jazz Brunch in Fort LauderdaleThe Suntrust Sunday Jazz Brunch presents live music on multiple stages the first Sunday of the month along Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk. The music is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can buy food from vendors or bring your own picnic, and you’ll need to bring your own chairs or blankets. This Sunday’s performers are Christina Sichta, Billy Bones & Justin Trapani and the Glyn Dryhurst Dixieland Band.

Picnic in the park with pets, plus a free playThe Miami Beach Botanical Garden is inviting dogs and their people to participate in a Picnic in the Park 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The event will include animal adoptions, a pool park, paw printing, leash-walking workshops, a canine fashion show and vendors, plus art activities for kids. All dogs must be on a leash. Once you’ve taken your dog home, you can see a free performance of the play “9 Circles” by Bill Cain performed by the troupe Ground Up & Rising. Performances will be at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Free bluegrass jam for players, singers and listenersThe South Florida Bluegrass Association puts on a free bluegrass festival and acoustic jam the first Sunday of every month from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Greynolds Park. Bring your musical instrument (plus your own chairs and blankets) and join the band, or come just to listen. Admission is free, but parking is $6 per car. Food and drink are available for purchase.

To keep up with latest news on deals, discounts and free events in South Florida, sign up for the daily Miami on the Cheap newsletter or the daily Fort Lauderdale on the Cheap newsletter. For more tips on what to do this weekend, read the frequently updated Miami on the Cheap weekend roundup of free and cheap events. In Broward, check out the guide to a fun and frugal weekend.